as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
after years of toil in a sweatshop, Kim was finally able to start her own dressmaking business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tangle
usually toils plural
something that catches and holds
a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toil
William Jones, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
The emotional toil caused by doomscrolling has been shown to cause real harm.
—ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Once freed from slavery, Washington toiled in coal mines, worked as a janitor in exchange for formal education and became a great American orator and leader of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Noun
Erginoglu planted over 11,000 trees along with installing water pipes - the completion of an incredible 30 years of dedication and hard toil.
—William Jones, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
The emotional toil caused by doomscrolling has been shown to cause real harm.
—ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
Bandmates Callum, Melusine and Al are mostly toiling in obscurity until a violent act at one of their gigs goes viral.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Once freed from slavery, Washington toiled in coal mines, worked as a janitor in exchange for formal education and became a great American orator and leader of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil
Verb
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The Dodgers then knocked off the Giants in the NL Division Series, though Scherzer lost his Game 3 start – allowing three hits and a run on Evan Longoria’s game-deciding homer while laboring seven innings and 110 pitches.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
26 Oct. 2025
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Betsy’s love labored between two living losses.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For organizations struggling with the classic challenges of cross-functional collaboration—territorial disputes, communication gaps, and suboptimal compromises—AI offers a pathway to genuine integration.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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Attest data supports concerns around mental health, with a quarter of parents admitting their child struggles often.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The panel will focus on accessibility to tickets, fan first ticketing, and the steps ticketing partners are striving toward for the future.—
Kristen Wisneski,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
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Tulip bulb sizes vary, so instead of using a measuring tape, strive to plant tulips about three times as deep as their size.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In Galaxy Mapper, author Allie Summers and illustrator Sian James introduce readers to French astrophysicist Hélène Courtois, a working scientist who studies cosmography, or mapping the observable universe.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Researchers have developed a new algorithm that can help multiple drones work together to control and transport heavy payloads.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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